Distant Shores
by AfterTheFall
Summary: Uncovered as a spy, snape goes missing. Heres the journey to uncover what happened. Slash (RLSS) violence. the usual fun and games.
1. Hope Fades

**Distant Shores**.

Summary: _After being covered as a spy, Severus suddenly disappears off the face of the earth. The race is on to uncover what happened by all parties involved, discovering startling truths about the Potions Master and the few he allowed to get close to him, along the way. _

Rating: It's only PG13 now, but I'd say, when I'm done, we'll be an R for sure ;) References to abuse, torture etc – all the fun stuff. Nothing explicit, just vague memories. And slash. BIG slash. And swearing too. And is AU.

Paring: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape. Because I'm a sucker for that.

Authors Notes: Thanks to those who reviewed 'Thank You'. I appreciate it :). However, this is my first attempt at a longer Harry Potter story, I'd appreciate reviews, Cheers!

(Fuck! Just spilt beer over the keyboard. That's never good, kids…)

****

**Hope Fades. Prologue. **

_Hogwarts School, August 1994. _

Defeat and Dumbledore were never two things he'd thought he'd hear in the same sentence, unless of cause Dumbledore was doing the defeating. He may have appeared as a senile old man, but it was naught but a mask worn, hiding the seemingly invincible wizard underneath. But looking at the broken man in front of him, he knew he was anything but invincible and untouchable. Silent tears falling down his cheeks, Remus saw the last sign of hope flicker and wane in the tired old mans' eyes, and Remus couldn't help but loose his own hopes as well. Even in the darkest times of this horrible war – after he had lost Lily and James, after learning of Peter's betrayal, even after loosing Sirius, it had been his former Headmaster's unwavering hope and optimism that had kept his own pilot light burning, at the possibility of winning this seemingly un-winnable war. But one look at Albus Dumbledore was all that was needed to extinguish that last spark of hope.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to find Minerva McGonagall behind him, looking just as worried as he knew he did.

"Any word?" he asked, almost whispering.

She lowered her head, and quietly replied in the negative, before turning her gaze to Albus, "How long has he been like this?"

"Since word came in"

She nodded sadly. It had been seven days since he had been called, three since he had been declared missing-in-action, though not officially of cause. She moved forward into Dumbledore's office, sitting opposite Albus. She took his shaking hands in her own, and he slowly turned his head to face hers. It pained her to see him so lost in his grief, so opposite to the wizard she knew.

"We'll find him, Albus. You know we will"

He just shook his head, so she continued, "He's tough, Albus. He's probably on his way here back now. He knows how to look after himself...

"...He's like a son to me, Minerva. I'm his legal guardian, did you know? When he was in his second year, remember?" Of cause she remembered, she had been with him through the entire ordeal, fighting the Tyrone Family for months before he actually gained custody of the child. Severus' Mother and her family were repulsed by the idea of letting one of their own grow up with that 'mudblood loving fool'. But finally, he had won.

"Yes, Albus, I remember. You saved him"

"No I didn't. I failed him. I failed him in everyway possible"


	2. Through Shadows Falling

**Distant Shores**.

_Chapter 1. Through Shadows Falling._

_A/N: Since this is AU, Sirius died before Harry's 4th year, he died in POA in my story. Just to clear up that confusion.._

**...**

_Westmead Hospital, Sydney. August 1994._

"Bed 14?"

"No details. Ambo's brought him in last night"

"What happened?"

"Dunno, police were in though. Jack said they picked him up out at the old brickworks"

"Homebush? As in the drag racing brickworks?"

"One and the same"

"Right. You got his stats for change over?"

**...**

"Any change?"

"Nothin'. Been like this for days"

"Right. Much hope for 'im?"

"Well, he's still breathin', if that means much to ya"

"Right"

**...**

"Still the same?"

"Yeah, no change"

"What's Ben sayin are his changes?"

"Fifty-Fifty"

**...**

"How longs' he been like this?"

"It's been 2 weeks, Ben's sayin his chances for recovery are falling"

**...**

"Do they even know who he is yet?"

"No idea, he's not on any records, at all. It's as though he doesn't exist"  
  
"Someone must be missing him"

"Yeah, you'd think so. His parents at the very least"

**...**

"Didn't your shift finish 2 hours ago?"

"What? Oh. Yeah. Lost track of time."

"You're getting attached. You realise that don't you"

"He's just so young, he couldn't be a day over 12. And nobody seems to care"

"We do"

"You know what I mean"

**...**

"What are they saying?"

"Ben says there's a big possibility he's brain dead. He's just not reacting to any tests, Charlotte."

"I know"

"I'm sorry, mate"

**...**

He could hear voices around him, sense people moving in the room. Was it even a room? Where was he? The last he remembered…

…He didn't.

He tired to remember, but there was nothing but a black void.

Slowly, his surroundings became clear, he was indeed in a room – stark white – with a continual beeping noise. He tried taking in a deep breath, only to realise he couldn't draw back air. He panicked, trying to claw at whatever was restricting his breathing, but he couldn't get his arms to obey his instructions. The beeping around him became more erratic as his panic heightened, feeling as though he was suffocating.

"Calm down, mate. Calm down" a voice spoke from above, as hands were gently placed on his shoulders, holding him down to the bed. His eyes shot open to find to women hovering above him. One looking to be middle aged, the other in her early thirties. Both, while looking a little rough, soothed him and calmed him down enough for air to get into his lungs, if only for a few seconds. He still felt the heavy object down his throat, still wanted nothing more than to remove it. They two women where joined by a younger looking man, who looked over him, scrutinizing his body.

"Ok mate, this is going to hurt a bit, but only for a few seconds. It will make you more comfortable too" the older lady assured him, "here, you just hold my hand, ok?" she put her hand next to his, and he weakly grabbed it, thankful he was regaining control over his body. She continued talking to him as the remaining to people worked about him. Suddenly, the device that had caused him panic before begun to move, he could feel it below his chest, within his lungs. He began to panic again, but just as soon, the older lady, held his hand tighter, and brushed stray stands of hair out of his eyes with the other, "Shhh, it's ok. Just a few more seconds and it'll be fine. That's right, mate. It's fine now, calm down.."

Within minutes, the obtrusive object was removed, his oesophagus was finally free. Steadily, he began to breath normally, as the three people moved about the room, attending to various tasks.

The older woman, who had held his hand moment before, sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair beside the bed, "Now mate. Can you tell me your name?" she asked.

Suspicion quickly clouded his face, as he narrowed his eyes at her. "How about I tell you what I know, and you tell what something about yourself?"

The child mulled over the idea, before reluctantly nodded.

"Ok kiddo, my name's Beryl Kelly, that over there is Ben Monaghan and over by the window is Emma Butler. Now, you're in the Children's Hospital at Westmead. You've been here for 3 weeks"

His eyes shot up at that. How? Why? He went to ask, but found his throat to sore and dry to speak, "It's ok, it will be a few days before you can speak again mate" she said as the woman she'd introduced as Emma walked over with a cup of water, smiling warmly as she helped him drink it, holding the back of his head up as he weakly tried to guide the cup with his own hands. "We had to put a tube down your throat to help you breathe, so it'll be a little sore for the next few days. The water helps though"

Savouring the water quenching the dryness of his throat, he didn't hear the man begin talking for a few seconds, only catching the end, "..Is there anything to remember before coming in here?" He half-heartedly tried to recall recent memories, but when nothing came to mind, he shook his head.

Beryl smiled, "That's ok mate" she said, patting one of his hands, "Now do you suppose you could tell us a bit about yourself?" she asked, handing him a pen and some paper, "Just your name, mate. Or your parents, I'm sure they're worried as hell about you"

He grasped the pen in his unsteady hands, as he went to write his name, when it hit him. He didn't remember. He didn't remember anything, his name, his family, or even if he had one. He had no idea what had happened, were the hell 'Westmead' was, just scattered pictures he could make no sense of. Tears began to well in his eyes, and streaming down his face, as he grasped the pen tighter, determined to remember _something_.

But nothing came.

Beryl gently took the pen of the frightened child, "It's ok for now, mate. It'll come back" she reassured him, knowing what has happened, she'd seen it before. It was always a possibility when people came out of comas'. Although, it never made it any easier, especially when the person in question wasn't even a teenager yet.

Ben's pager went off, and he took his leave. Emma followed suit, leaving the crying child in the arms of Beryl, holding him as he weakly clutched onto her nurses uniform, sobs racking his tiny frame as Beryl rocked him back and forth, rubbing his back, trying to soothe him.

...

_Hogwarts School, September 1994._

Of all the positions he'd thought he'd be offered in his life, Potions teacher was not on the top of his list. If there at all.

But school was starting, Dumbledore was desperate and he was the only candidate both good at potions and who had Albus' and the Student's trust.

He couldn't help but laugh. What would Sirius think? Taking over Snape's long-held position – one held by a Slytherin for as far back as he could recall. Ha! What would Snape say?

Then he remembered. Sirius was dead. Snape was in all likelihood, dead too. Or every close to it, if this was indeed Voldermort's doing. He couldn't help the shudder pass through him, knowing that if he was in the hands of the Dark Lord, the man he had come to not only understand and respect, but care deeply for since his return to Hogwarts 12 months earlier.

He felt like he shouldn't be in this office – it was an area Severus had been so protective over. The one place he'd call his own, and here he was, intruding on that space.

"So it's true them"

Remus' head snapped up at the source of the accusation, to find the last person he'd expect.

"Mister Malfoy" he acknowledged.

"Where is he?"

There was no need to ask whom the 'he' Draco referred to was. Remus sighed; Dumbledore would soon be announcing it to the whole school, omitting certain facts of cause. Remus was glad Albus had regained hope of finding Severus, and he now did so with renewed determination, after he and Minerva had spoken to each other during the early hours of the morning for days before school resumed.

"I don't know" Remus finally responded.

Draco didn't look surprised, or angry, just weary and worried. He nodded and lowered his head, "Find him, Sir. Please" Remus, in all his years, never thought he'd hear a Malfoy beg, then again, the last month had been filled with surprises.

Draco turned to exit the dungeons, when Remus spoke, "If we find out something, we'll let you know, you can trust me"

"I know"

"You trust me?" Now Remus was very confused.

Draco turned back to face the werewolf, "No. I'd never trust you" He paused, "But Severus told me, that if anything where to happen to him and I needed help, to go to you. He's the only person I'll ever trust. And if he places his trust in you, that's enough for me"

**...**

TBC..


End file.
